now. I will only say that the reasons were altogether different from
those which he stated."

Of this Edith did not believe a word; yet she felt completely baffled,
and did not know what to say to this man, who thus met all her
assertions with denials, and spoke in the calm, lofty tone of conscious
truth. But this, she thought, was only his "acting."

"I only hope that this is so," said she; "but supposing that it is so, I
should like very much to know what you feel disposed to do. The claim
that this man asserts over me is utterly false. It is a mockery. If he
is really not your confederate, you will see, I am sure, that it is not
for your own interest to sustain him in his attempt to maintain his
claim. I wish, therefore, to know exactly what it is that you feel
willing to do."

"Your situation," said Wiggins, "is a most unhappy one. I will do all
that I can to prevent it from becoming more so. If this man annoys you,
I will defend you against him, whatever it may cost."

This sounded well; yet still Edith was not satisfied. It seemed to her
too much like an empty promise which he had no idea of fulfilling.

"How will you defend me?" she asked. "This man lives here now. He
asserts that he has the right to do so. He has published what he calls
my marriage to him in the newspapers. He calls himself my husband. All
this is a wrong and an insult to me. His presence here is a perpetual
menace. When he is absent he leaves a reminder of himself," she
continued, in a more bitter tone, glancing toward the portrait. "Now I
wish to know what you will do. Will you prevent him from coming here?